Register device for feeders



W. B. STORY.

REGISTER DEVICE FOR FEEDERS. APPLICATION FILED Anna, 1912.

1,403, 53, E Patented Jan. 17,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

i 3 H I Inventor Attomcys.

W. B. STORY.

aemsm DEVICE FOR FEEDERS.

APPLICATION FILED AFB. 5. 1912- Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Yigb J8 Attorncyl.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

WARD B. STORY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WARD 3. STORY COMPANY, INC., OF NEN YORK, N. Y, A CORPORATION OF NEW' YORK,

REGISTER DEVICE FOR FEEDER/S.

To aZ Z whom it may concern Be it known that I, lVann B. STORY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Register Device for Feeders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in registering devices, in'connection with machines for feeding sheets to printing presses and similar structures. The objects of the invention are to produce a side register for registering the sheets sidewise, without stopping the sheets. A further object is to produce a device for registering sheets so that they will not buckle or distort in any way. A still further object is toregister the sides and ends of the sheets,- without stopping the sheets. The invention relates to machines of the general type described in Letters Patent dated August 8, 1916, No. 1,193,731. The before enumerated objects, together with further objects, will more fully appear from the following specification and accompanying drawings, considered together or separately. 1

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, with parts broken away, of an apparatus embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on the line3-3 of Figure 1. but on an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a similar view, on the line 4 a of Figure 1. p r

Figure 5 is a similar View, on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a similar view, on the line 66 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 isa plan v-iewof the operative parts of the feeding device, showing a modi fication of the invention.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatical viewof a feeding device equipped with both end and side register devices.

In all of the views, like parts are designated by the same reference 0 -araeters.

Referring more particularly to Figures 1 to 6 inclusive,the character 1 represent-sthe usual frame of a feeding device. This frame carries an impression cylinder 2 and a type cylinder 3. (See Figure 9.) Any Specification of Letters Patent] P t t n 17, 9 2

Application filed April 5,

1912. Serial No. 688,805.

other suitable devices ma be utilized for taking the sheets after they have been properly gauged by the mechanism which will be described at large in this'specification. The sheets indicated by the character 81, are supplied to'the apparatus by means of a suitable feeder, illustrated in the drawings as a pile feeder 4 The sheets are fed by means of the usual combing roller 5. The. feeder is provided with front gauges 6, 6, and side gauges 7, 7. The sheets are fed by the combing roller andare passed between the upper feed roller 8 and lower feed roller 9. The feed rollers are of the usual construction, the upper feed roller being on gaged-by suitable spring devices 9 against thelower feed roller. The lower feed roller is driven at normal speed. The shaft which carries the lower feed roller also carries belt rollers 10, which carry'belts 11. These belts are shown as provided with end: gauges 12, as described in Letters Patent No. 1,198,731, above referred to. belt rollers 13, supported and turned by a suitable shaft 14. On the shaft 14- are the lower gauge rollers 15; Engaging with these lowergauge rollers, are upper gauge rollers 16. The sheet is adapted to be gripped between these gauge rollers and fed to the taking rollers or other devices which are utilized for the purpose. It is one object of the present invention to gauge the sheets as to the position of their sides while passing through the mechanism described. Referring to Figure 1, 0 represents oneedge o-fthe sheet 81, in the position that it will occupy after having been, gauged. This isthc final position which the sheet will assume when it leaves the gauge rollers. Theline 5 represents the edge of the sheet as it leaves the feeder and before it is gauged. The side gaugesi, 7 are purposely set to one side of the position which the sheet will. ultimately occupy, so that the sheet will be deliberately fed to one side of the final position. My improved devices are adapted to move the sheet sidewise to the position that it will ultimately occupy, while it is traveling through the gauge rollers. By setting the side gauges 7 to one side, the operator will always be assured that the sheet will be fed to the gauge rollers on that side of the normal position, and never on the other side. 1

The belts pass around The devices for feeding the sheet sidewise during its travel and while it is gripped by the gauge rollers, are as follows: These devices are adapted to move the upper and lower gauge rollers simultaneously sidewise to the side of the machine opposite the said gauges 7, 7, while the sheet is being passed between them. Other devices are provided to limit and determine the extent of the side feeding so that the sheet will always be fed to a definite anddetermined extent. These devices are as follows: For supporting the upper gauge rollers 16, an arm 17 is employed. Thisarm (one for each upper roller) is mounted .upon a shaft 18, mounted in the frame of the machine.

Forthe purpose of rotating the shaft 14,

the shaft 19 of the impression cylinder 2 is shown as provided with a spur gear 20. This spur gear meshes with the spur gear 21 carried on a stub shaft, as shown. The spur gear 21 meshes, in turn, with a broad face spur gear 22, also carried upon a stub shaft. This broad face gear 22 meshes with a narrow face gear 23 carried by the shaft 14, and rotates the latter. The shaft 14 is mounted in bearings 24, at one end, so that it may be moved longitudinally there through. It is provided with a spring buffer 25 to check momentum and take upback lash. This spring buffer engages with a bracket 26, outside of the spring buffer.

For the purpose of allowing the shaft 14 to move longitudinally in its bearings without moving the belt rollers 13, the latter are secured to the shaft 14 by means of a spline 27, or similar device, so that they will be rotated by the shaft, but relative movement of the shaft and rollers will be permitted. A fork 28 engages with each side of each belt roller 13, and this fork is mounted upon a'support 29. (See Figure 6.) The purpose ofthis fork is to keep the belt rollers in proper alignment.

The shaft 18 is mounted in bearings 30, in such a mannerthat it may be rotated and also may be moved longitudinally. This shaft 18 is connected to the shaft 14 by means of a yoke 31 (see Figure 6). It is apparent that if this yoke be moved toward and away from the frame 1, the shafts l4 and 1.8 will be longitudinally moved, and as the shaft 14 directly carries the lower gauge roller 15 and the shaft 18 carries the upper gauge roller 16 through the interpinion 36 (see Figure 1). This pinion is mounted upon a shaft 37, and rotates the latter. The same shaft also carries a p1nion 38, which is engaged by a segmental rack 39. This segmental rack 39 is pivoted at 40. (See Figure 2.) It carries a will reciprocate the segmental rack 39. This will have the effect of rotating the described gears and also rotating the screw 34. Assuming that this screw is held rigidly in its bearings so that'it will not partake of .longitudinal movement, it is apparent that when it' is rotated, it will move the nut 32 inits bearings 33, and, through the agency of the yoke 31, will longitudinally slide the shafts, 14 and 18 in their bearings, which will move the sheet which at that moment ispinched between the rollers 15 and'16. The'diameter of the impression cylinder 2 is such that it will make one complete revolution for every sheet that is fed; consequently, there will be a longitudinal movement of the shafts, as described, during the feeding of each sheet.

In order to determine the exact distance that th sheet is to be moved sidewise so as to'be accurately registered, the following de' vices are employed: The shaft 37 carries loosely mounted'upon it a spur gear 44. A pinion 45 (see Figure 1) is in mesh with this spur gear. The pinion 45 (best shown in Figure 6) is loosely mounted upon a shaft screw 47. This sleeve screw is connected to and is rotated by the pinion 45. The generatrix of the threads of the sleeve screw 47 and the screw 34 are opposite. The two screws are preferably of the same pitch. This sleeve screw 47 is provided with suitable thrust bearings 48, and is held in position by means of a nut 49. The threadsof the sleeve screw 47 engage with a stationary nut 50. This stationary nut 50 is supported in a frame 51. Referring to Figure 5, the shaft 37 carries a differential 52. This differential comprises a bevel gear 53, loose on the shaft 1 37, but rigidly connected to and turning with the gear 44. A second bevel gear 54 is tight 7 on the "shaft 37. Between the two bevel gears 1s a center member 55, also loose onthe shaft 37. This center member carries bevel pinions 56. These bevel pinions engage with the bevel gears 53'and 54. The center member, as shown in Figure 4, is of semi-circular shape, for the purpose of being made lighter in Figure 4.

and also to make the bearings more accessible. The curved portion in the center member (see Figure 4 is provided with ratchet teeth 57. These ratchet teeth are adapted to be engaged by pawls 58. Three pawls are shown, of different lengths, so that a finerheld out of engagement with the ratchet.

teeth. The pivoted stop .62 is supported upon a shaft 63. This shaft is provided with a finger 64, which is adapted to be engaged by a stop 65, carried on the center member 55, for the purpose to be described. The shaft 63 carries a feeler 66. The free extremity of this teeler is located on the line (1, namely, at the edge of the sheet after the same has been properly registered. A spring 67 connects the frame 51 to the 'feeler 66, so that the latter will be held against the sheet when it is in the path of the .feeler. For the purpose of lifting the pawls 58 so that their fingers 61 may be engaged by the pivoted stop 62, acam 68 is provided on the center member 55, at a position located beyond the last ratchet tooth. (See Figure 4,) For the purpose of limiting the rotary movement of the gear 44, it is provided with a pin v69, which is adapted to engage with a stop 7 0 on the frame 1. Also "for the'purpose of limiting the rotary movement of the center member 55, a stop '71 is provided, which is carried by the frame 51. (See Figure 4-.)

The shaft 1Sis provided with arm18 which carries at'its extremity a roller 18. The'roller is adapted to engage a cam 19 on the shaft 19. lVhen the leading edge of the paper is gripped by the impression cylinder, the high part of the cam 19 will swing the arm 18 and raise the upper gauge rollers 16 from contact with the paper, and stop the feed at that point.

The operation of the mechanism above described is as follows: 5

Assuming that a sheet is approaching the space between the upper and lower gauge rollers, the crank will be in the position The center member of shown in Figure 2. the diflere" sl will be in the position shown This center member will rest against the stop 71. The cam 68 will have moved the'fingers 61 of the pawls 58in such aposition before the stop 65 came in engagement with the fingers 64, that, through the engagement of this stop with the fingers, the pivoted stop 62 will have been moved to the position, shown, so that it is in front of the fingers 61'. This movement, namely, the

engagement of the stop 65 with the fingers 64, not only moves the pivoted stop 62 to the position shown, to hold the pawls out of mesh with the ratchet teeth, but it also lifts up the free end of the feeler 66.. The edge of the sheet being in the position b, the free end of the feeler, which has a tendency to drop, will rest upon the sheet and will be held in elevated position. The further rotation of the crank 43 will turn the segmental rack 39, before described, and through the agency of the gear 36, will rotate the shaft 37. This gear 36 will rotate the pinion 35, as above described, and through the agency of the screw 34 and yoke31, will move the shafts 14 and 18 longitudinally in their bearings, together with the upper and lower gauge rollers-and the sheet. At the same time. the shaft 37, being rotated, will rotate the bevel gear 54 in one direction. The rotation of this bevel gear 54 will rotate the bevel pinions 56 and will exert stress upon the bevel gear 53 and gear 44, which is held from rotating by the pin 69. The gear 44 engaging with the pinion 45, which is connected to the sleeve screw 47, will cause more resistance to rotation than does the center member 55. The latter,

therefore, will turn, while the screw sleeve 47 willremain stationary in the fixed-nut 50. This will turn'the center member, and in the embodiment chosen forillustration as illustrated in Figure 4) in the clockwise direction. The center member will be free to turn in this direction so long as the teeler 66 engages with the'paper. Whe'mhow'ever,

the paper has been moved sideways-to the position indicated by a. in Figure 1, the free end oi the feeler, being no longer supported by the paper, will drop down, partly through its weight and partlythrough the action of the spring'67. The effect of this vill be to release the pivoted stop trom'en- The center member can now no longer turn I in the clockwisedirection. The result must, therefore. be that the continued rotary movement of the bevel gear 54 and the differential will turn the bevel pinions 56. The center member of the difi'erential being stationary it necessarily follows that the bevel gear 53 isturned in the opposite direction from the bevel gear 54, and at the same rate of speed. The eifectof this will be that, through the agency ofthe spur gear 44 and pinion 45, the sleeve screw 47 will be rotated. The ge'neratrir: oi the threads of this screw being'opposite thethre'adsof the screw 34, andthe pitchbeing the same, and

will be fed no longer in the direction that it has been fed. The movement of the parts will continue until the crank 43 gets beyond the dead center, i. e., in the position opposite from that shown in Figure 2, whereupon the segmental rack 39 will be moved in the opposite direction. rotating the various gears in the opposite direction. The effect of this will be to rotate the screw 34 in the opposite direction, causing it to travel through the nut .32 the same distance that it traveled during the previous half revolution of the shaft 19. Theshaft'37 will also be rotated the same number of times in the opposite direction as it was during the preceding movement, rotating the bevel. gear 54 in the pposite direction. The ratchet teeth 57 can not hold the centermember 55 against movement in the contra-clockwise direction, owing to the shape of the teeth; consequently, the center member .will be given a part revolution until it comes in contact with the stop 71. The further rotation of the bevel gear 54 through the agency of the bevel pinion 56, will then .rotate the bevel gear 53 and spur gear 44, and through the agency of the pinion 45, will rotate the sleeve screw 47 in the opposite direction from that at which it formerly rotated, and to thesame extent, until the stop 69 comes in contact with the stop 70. The object of having the stop .69, as well as thestop 71, is

to insure thatthe center member 55 and the pinion 44 always come back to the same point.

At the moment the crank 43 reaches the position opposite to that shown in Figure 2, the sheet will be gripped by the impression cylinder or other taking device, and the rack 39 and the various gears start to revolve in .the opposite direction, the high part of the cam 19 will engage the roller 18 and raise the gauge rollers 16 from contact with the paper.- a

rom the foregoing description it will be seen that I have. produced a very positively operating apparatus which will definitely feed the sheet sidewise without stopping its forward movement, and as the sheet is fed entirely by the gaugerollers, it has no op portunity to become wrinkled or distorted in any way; Itis also fed without having its movement arrested; consequently, there is none ofthe trouble found in previous machines, in which the sheet is stopped and then started, such troubles being caused by grippers which must act practically instantaneously.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a modification of the invention. The same gauge rollers are used as before. The upper gauge roller shaft 18 and lower gauge roller shaft 14 are connected together by the yoke 31, as described. This yoke is provided with a nut 32. This nut engages with the screw 34 and is actuated by a pinion 72 (see Figure 7). This pinion is rotated by a gear 73, carried by a shaft 74. The shaft 74 is provided with a: crank 75, and this crank 75 is connected to the crank 43 by means .of a pitman ,76. This pitman is made in two parts, as

shown in Figure 8, with a spring 77 connecting the two parts, so that the length of the pitman can be increased when the crank 75 is stopped. The crank 75 is preferably longer than the crank 43, so that it will make only a partial revolution during the period of time that the crank 43 makes a complete revolution. The gear 73 is provided with a toothed sector 78, and this toothed sector is adapted to be engaged by the pawls 58, similar to those before described. These pawls are carried upon the shaft 63, which also carries the feeler 66, as before described. The operation of this device is as follows. So long as the free end of the feeler remains upon the sheet, the pawls 58 will not engage.

with the sector 78; consequently, the rotation of the crank 43 will turn the crank 75 pinion 72, will rotate the screw 34. This will move the yoke 31, and will slidethe shafts 14.and 18 in their bearings, moving the upper and lower gauge rollers and feeding the sheet sidewise. When the feeler 66 slips off the edge of the sheet when the latter has reached its final and definite position, the shaft 63 will turn, dropping the pawls 58 into a tooth of the sector 78. This will stop the rotation of the gears7 3 and pinion 72, also the screw 34 and, consequently, the sheet will be fed sidewise no further. The spring 77 inthe pitman will then be compressed until the crank43 gets in center, opposite the position it was when the pawls 58 acted on the sector. ment of the crank 43, after the spring 77 has become expanded will, through the agency of the pitman, move the crank 75 back to its initial position. .The gear 73 will rotate in the opposite direction, turning The further movethe screw 34 back to its original position.

The pawls 58 will slide upon the teeth of the sector 78, and will permit the sector and gear 73 to rotate backward. When the stop '82 comes into engagement with the pawls, it

will lift the free end of the feeler so that it will be in av position to allow the next sheet to come under it.

Figure 9 shows the application of my inmoment the said sheet passes between thegauge rollers. The gauge rollers will then take the sheet and gauge it laterally by the mechanism already described. Any of the devices illustrated in said Letters Patent, above identified, may be used in connection with the side gauge. When the two are combined, as shown in Figure 9, a very complete device is produced which not only gauges the sheets as to their side edges, but also as to their front edges.

in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, 1 have described the princi-- ple of my invention, together with the apparatus which now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but i desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that the invention can be carried out in other ways.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A register device for sheets, having forward feeding means; means forimoving said feeding means sidewise while feeding the sheet; and stopping devices controlled by the position of the sheet, for arresting the sidewise movement of the said feeding means, after predetermined position has been reached.

2. A register device for sheets, having feeding gauge rollers, and automatically variable means for moving said rollers sidewise while gripping and feeding the sheet.

3. A register device for sheets, having feeding gauge rollers, means for moving said rollers sidewise through a path of variable extent while said rollers grip and feed the sheet, and means for arresting said sidewise movement of the rollers, after a predetermined position has been reached corresponding to the side register line of the sheet.

4. A regist r device for sheets, having gauge rollers; means for moving said rollers sidewise while feeding the sheet forward; and stopping devices, controlled by the position of the sheet, for arresting the sidewise movement of the sheet, after a predeter mined position has been reached.

5. A register device for sheets, having forward feeding means, means for gauging the front edge of the sheet. while the. latter is in motion, and means for moving the feeding means sidewise while feeding the sheet forard, the side movement being through a path of variable extent whereby the sheet will be: moved sidewise from an unknown to a lrnown relationship to the press.

6. A register device for sheets, having feeding gauge rollers; means for gauging the front edge of the sheet, while the latter is being fed; and means for moving the gauge rollers sidewise, while gripping and feeding the sheet.

7. A register device for sheets, having forward feeding means; means for gauging the front edge of the sheet while the latter is being fed; means for moving the feeding means sidewise, while feeding the sheet; and stoppingdevices, controlledby the position of the sheet, for'arresting the sidewise movement of the sheet, after a predetermined position has been reached. a

8. A register device for sheets, having gauge rollers; means for gauging the front edge of the sheet, while the latter is being fed; means for moving the gauge rollers sidewise, while feeding the sheet forward; and stopping device's, controlled by the position of the sheet, for arresting the sidewise movement of the sheet, after a predetermined position has been reached.

9. A register device for sheets, having gauge rollers; means for rotating the latter, for feeding the sheet forward; means for feeding the gauge rollers sidewise, while the sheet is being fed; said means comprising a screw, and means for rotating the screw.

10. A register device for sheets, having gauge rollers; means for rotating the latter, for feeding the sheet forward; means for feeding the gauge. rollers sidewise, while the sheet is being fed; said means comprising a screw; means for rotating the screw; and a device controlled by the position of the sheet, for controlling the extent of the sidewise movement of the sheet.

11. A register device for sheets, having the yolre, so that the shafts will be slid longitudinally.

18. A register device for sheets, having gauge rollers; means for moving the gauge rollers sidewise, while feeding the sheet forward; said means comprising a screw; devices for rotating the screw, in one direction, a sleeve engaging with the screw, and means forsliding the screw after the sheet has been fed sidewise, to a predetermined position.

14. A register device for sheets, having gauge rollers; a screw 0 eratively connected to said rollers, to move t em sidewise means for rotating the screw; a second screw operatively connected to the first screw; a nut for said second screw; and a device operated by the position of the sheet, for imparting rotation to the second screw, afterthe sheet has been fed sidewise to a predetermined position. a

15. A register device for sheets, having gauge rollers; a nut operatively connected to said rollers to move them sidewise; a screw engaging with the nut, and rotated by devices moving in time'with the rotation of the rollers; a second screw operatively connected to the first screw, and a differential gear connected to said second screw and having a centre member; a feeler held in operative position by engagement with the sheet, and operatively connected to the centre member of the differential, so that when the sheet is fed to a predetermined distance, the centre member of the differential will be stopped, and the secondscrew will be rotated to feed in the opposite direction, at the same rate of speed that the first screw feeds to move the nut. a

16. A register device for sheets, having forward feeding means; a guide for the sheets, said guide feeding the sheet to one side of the final position; a feeler engaging with the sheet; means for feeding the sheet sidewise when it is being fed by the forward feeding means; and devices connecting the feeler and said sidewise feeding means, to limit the extent of side feeding movement of the latter.

. 17. In a sheet feeding mechanism, an abutment, a plurality of carrying devices adapt-' mounted rollers in continuous contact with the sheet but permitting its free forward movement, the said rollers being adapted to move the sheet laterally to effect side registration, and actuating means to cause the transverse movement of the rollers.

18. A sheet feeding mechanism for presses having, in combination, sheet holding means, means to actuate said sheet-holding means to carry a sheet into the press, and means under the control of said sheet automatically to shift said sheet-holding means and the sheet held thereby laterally to position the sheet laterally.

19. In a sheet handling and register mechanism, a plurality of successively acting forward feeding means, means for gauging the front edge of the sheet while the sheet is in motion, and means for moving one of the feeding means sidewise while moving the sheet forward, the side movement being through a path of variable extent, whereby the sheet will be moved sidewise from an unknown to a known relationship to the press.

20. A register device for sheets, having means for feeding a sheet forwards, flatwise and under control, and automatically variable means for moving the feeding means side-wise while maintaining control of the sheet.

This specification signed and witnessed this 30th day of March,1912.

WVARD B. STORY. WVitnesses:

A. WENDLE, J OHN L. Lorsorr. 

